The End of DBZ Retold
by NansJns
Summary: The original ending written for Dragon Ball Z was awful, so I rewrote most of it to make it better. This is how it should have ended!


Hello there! Having recently seen the very end of DBZ, and hating it deeply, I've decided I must uphold the sacred duty of the fan writer and fix it! Thus, I present my version of the last three eps of DBZ. Go ahead, I dare you to read this and tell me it isn't a vast improvement over the crap that was shown!!  
  
DBZ doesn't belong to me, but I wish it did so this could be the official ending. Also, please note that in my version of things, adult Gohan doesn't wear glasses. Thank you!  
  
Big thanks to Holly O. for her betaing! **************************************************************************** ** The End of DBZ Retold by NansJns  
  
It was ten Earth years since the defeat of the evil Kid Buu and the galaxy had been at peace. The Earth was quiet and tranquil once again and the Z-fighters had all moved on with their respective lives, though they still trained at least weekly. They'd all been through a little too much in their lives to believe this peaceful interlude would last forever. Even so, they enjoyed this time of tranquility and watched their children grow.  
  
Trunks flew the air car expertly to his best friend Goten's house, humming along with the radio. He had recently turned eighteen, Goten was seventeen, and they had planned to go cruising around town - once they finished that big project for school. There were times when Trunks actually cursed his responsible nature, but then again, better good grades and freedom than bad grades and grounding. Trunks stopped humming once he noticed his car was starting to lose speed. He pressed a few buttons to run a quick diagnostic, and a moment later was informed there was a small problem with the engine.  
"That explains why she's been running so sluggishly," he observed to no one. He'd been having minor troubles with this particular vehicle for the last couple of days. "Ah, well, I prefer flying the natural way, anyway!" he grinned to himself as he popped open the glass dome and levitated out of the vehicle. He grabbed his keys then pressed the button to put the car back in its capsule. In a quick puff of bright smoke, the car was gone and a small capsule spun for a moment in the air before Trunks caught it with one hand. He pocketed it and flew off, faster than the any car could ever hope to go.  
He arrived at the Son's domed house quickly, which had expanded in size over the years, and now had a neighbor: Gohan and Videl had their own house next door. Trunks knocked on the door to Goku and Chi-Chi's house, but got no response. He knocked again, a little louder.  
"We don't want anything right now, thanks!" a female voice yelled from somewhere close by, and Trunks looked up to see Chi-Chi on the second floor balcony, hanging laundry out to dry.  
"Hi, Chi-Chi! It's me!" Trunks called up to her, and she looked around the shirts she'd been hanging to smile at him.  
"Oh, hi, Trunks! I didn't see you!" she said in greeting. "You here to see Goten?"  
"Yeah! But he isn't home yet," Trunks answered, now feeling his best friend's ki a few miles away.  
"No, he's not. He's still helping his father with his afternoon class," Chi-Chi said with a wide smile. "They'll both be home soon."  
"Okay! Thanks!" Trunks waved at her with another smile and she waved in return. Since he was there anyway, he decided to visit Gohan as well. Trunks walked over to the other house and knocked again, only this time, the door swung open.  
Trunks stepped inside carefully, looking around for any of the house's occupants. The living room looked empty, the sofa and chair bereft of anything but some papers that must've spilled over from the cluttered coffee table. He could hear the TV tuned into the news, but didn't see anybody. He could smell that Gohan was close by, but as the whole house smelled of Gohan and Videl, he wasn't sure exactly where the oldest half- breed was. "Hello? Anybody home?" he called, feeling downright foolish asking when he knew the answer already. He noticed the framed picture of Gohan and Videl's wedding on an end table and smiled. That had been a great day for his old friend, and the ceremony had been wonderful.  
"Hey, Trunks!" Gohan said from somewhere above him, and he looked up to see the first human-Saiyan halfling standing on a ladder and leaning against several floor-to-ceiling bookcases, one powerful arm full of books. Gohan flew to the floor and put his books on the table. His wild, spiky Saiyan hair was still trimmed fairly short to control it, and his dark eyes were still warm and friendly.  
"Hi, Gohan!" Trunks said. "I was just stopping by before going to see Goten."  
"Hey, you're always welcome," Gohan answered. "You probably shouldn't bother Goten and Dad in the middle of their class, though."  
"I know," Trunks nodded. "But, according to your mom, it should almost be over by now, anyway."  
"True," Gohan nodded, then he grinned. "These classes were such a great idea," he said.  
"Yeah, my mom keeps saying it was the single, most brilliant idea Goku ever came up with," Trunks nodded. "And really, they're so perfect for him - there aren't many people better suited to teaching martial arts!" Three years after evil Buu's defeat, Goku had an inspiration on how to bring in more money for his family, while pursuing one of his favorite pastimes at the same time - he opened up his own martial arts school. It was held out in an open field two miles from his house and he had students of all ages in three separate classes - morning, afternoon, and evening. Gohan and Goten took turns being his assistant sensei and they all enjoyed it.  
"That's for sure!" Gohan chuckled. "His students adore him, especially the kids. And he's having - heck, we're all having a great time! I'm actually pretty disappointed I have to skip my turn as assistant sensei Monday, but this conference can't wait."  
"And I'll bet the students will miss you," Trunks said. He'd watched some of the classes, and it was obvious that most of the female students (and there were mostly female students) had crushes on all of their handsome senseis. The two half-Saiyans turned their heads at the sound of Videl coming down the stairs.  
"Who are you talking to, Gohan?" she asked, and then saw Trunks. "Oh! Hi, Trunks! Looking for Goten?"  
"Yeah - but I know where to find him," Trunks said, and then the TV flashed an overly familiar, if somewhat aged, face.  
"Whaddya mean, I'm too old?! I'm still the undefeated champ!" Hercule Satan barked at the interviewer and did a quick display of his fighting moves - which were accompanied by a few, very faint, bone-pops and cracks. The report focused on the upcoming World's Martial Arts Competition, at which Hercule would once again defend his title of champion.  
"Honestly! Doesn't Dad know when to quit?" Videl said, her eyes flashing annoyance and embarrassment.  
"He's pretty full of it, that's for sure," Trunks muttered under his breath and Gohan barely managed to stifle his chuckle. Mr. Satan's titanic ego never ceased to amaze them. While he'd actually mellowed out some over the years, having been presented with the fact that he was far outclassed by many other men and some women, his boastfulness still got pretty bad whenever the cameras were trained on him. "Well, I'm going to go find Goten," Trunks announced at a normal level as he headed for the door.  
"Okay, Trunks. See you next week at the barbecue!" Gohan said as he and Videl followed him out the doorway to give him a proper goodbye. The Z- fighters and their families made a it point to get together at least once a month to talk and usually eat; they all lived so far apart, it was a good way to stay in touch and they all looked forward to it. They each took turns hosting the get-together, and that month it was Krillin's family's turn.  
"Take care!" Videl said as Trunks stepped outside. The purpled- haired youth flashed a smile at them and raised a hand.  
"See you then!" Trunks said, and flew off once again.  
It only took him a few seconds to locate Goku's open-air school and he carefully landed a few feet back so as not to disturb them. He snapped his head around when he realized his parents were there as well. Bulma and Vegeta casually walked up to join him and the three of them watched as Goku finished up. In front of the tall Saiyan and his youngest son were twenty children, ranging in age from five to twelve, all dressed in small, orange gi suits. Most were sitting, but one little girl of about eight with red- blonde braids and freckles was doing several attacks into the air in front of Goku, who was watching her movements with a small smile and nodding quietly. For once, he wasn't wearing his customary orange gi - he was dressed in a light blue gi top with dark blue martial art's pants, and a white belt tied around his waist. He still wore his weighted wrist bands and heavy boots. He gave a small wave over his shoulder to acknowledge his friends' presence, but continued to focus on his student. Goten also sent a quick nod their way, but kept watching the student. Finally, the child finished, panting and sweating heavily, then bowed to her senseis. Goku's grin widened proudly as he returned the bow.  
"Very good, Clover! You passed the test for a Three Star!" Goku said happily, and the little girl looked absolutely delighted. She quickly pulled off a small metal bracelet she wore and handed it to Goku. The bracelet was made of seven silver rings attached side by side, two of which were filled with tiny, faux-Dragonballs - a one star and a two star. Goten picked up a small, three-star Dragonball charm from a box at his side and handed it to his father, who popped it into its place on Clover's bracelet, before giving the piece of jewelry back to her. Clover gleefully put the bracelet back on and bowed again.  
"Thank you, Goku-Sensei!" she said, and then turned, pumping her arm into the air and cheering. "I did it!! I'm a Three Star!!" She bounced up and down in excitement. The rest of the students cheered along with her, waving their bracelet-ed arms as well. Most of them were still One- and-Two Stars, their bracelets and charms sparkling in the afternoon sun. The faux-Dragonballs were made out of a new, more durable material, since the first glass orbs broke too easily, especially during practice. Goku had discussed the problem with Bulma and she proceeded to create a new substance that had the look, feel, and weight of glass, but was many times tougher. As a result, she'd gone on to market it and increased her already vast fortune by a fair amount.  
Clapping his hands together to get his students' attention, Goku said, "All right, that's all for today. Remember, tomorrow's class has been canceled because I won't be here. You should still practice on your own, though." The students quickly stood, and bowed to first to him, followed by another bow to Goten. That done, they began to remove the weights they wore, gather up their things, and leave. Several of their families had already arrived to retrieve their children, though a few students still remained, waiting for someone to take them home. Trunks went over and started talking with Goten about their upcoming plans, while one small boy with brown hair walked shyly up to Goku.  
"Sensei?" the child asked in a small voice.  
"Yes?" Goku looked down at him with his big friendly smile.  
"Um, the ghosts were back again," the boy said quietly.  
"Were they?" Goku asked, bending down so the child wouldn't have to speak loudly. He knew this student was painfully shy, especially when it came to talking about the ghosts he claimed to see.  
"Uh-huh. They were standing over there, smilin' 'n stuff, like before," he said, motioning to a place a short ways from where Goten had been standing. "But I think they know I can see 'em."  
"Well, don't worry, they can't hurt you - though, frankly, I'd love to know how they're getting here," Goku admitted. "Now, go on - your mom's waiting," Goku gently turned him around and gave him a small push toward his mother and the boy ran to her happily.  
"Ghosts?" Vegeta asked as he walked up. Goku nodded.  
"Joel started seeing them a few months ago - three of them. He tells me that they all wear armor; one who looks a lot like me but has a scar on his left cheek, the second one looks a little like me only taller and with long, spiky hair, and the last one's a woman with long hair and sad-ish eyes. I think they might be my Saiyan family. . .but how are they visiting? I could never manage that when I was dead," Goku calmly explained to his old friend. Vegeta looked dumbfounded for a long moment. An equally puzzled Trunks looked over at Goten, who nodded in agreement. Bulma, however, looked like her temper was strained.  
"That's very interesting, Goku, really - but right now, I'm more interested in the promise you made after you and Vegeta blew up the gravity room three months ago! You and Chi-Chi said that you'd help pay for the damages by way of an apology - and I've yet to see one thin zeni!"  
Goku backed up and quickly held up his hands to ward off her anger. "Aw, Bulma - I'm gonna pay you back, honest! But my classes make just enough to keep us comfortable and doesn't leave a lot of extra!" It was the honest truth, too. "Listen, back at my house, I have some money saved up to pay you back; it's just not nearly enough." Bulma pulled back, calming down.  
"All right, then," she said, placated for the moment. She still felt like airing one more grievance, even though it was one they couldn't do anything about. "One more thing, why don't you Saiyans ever seem to age?" The fact was, Goku and Vegeta still looked like they were in their early thirties at most, while she was starting to look like her age of slightly over fifty.  
"It's just how our race developed - we have very long lives and stay young physically longer, presumably so we can fight longer," Vegeta answered, and then quietly reached out and squeezed her hand. "Relax, will you? You still look fine," he said to her very quietly. Then Vegeta cleared his throat. "That's not why we're here, anyway," Vegeta observed, glancing at his wife who shrugged lightly, but nonetheless gave him a small grin. "Kakkarot, I heard you entered the World's Martial Arts Championship again."  
"Yeah, and Goten too," Goku said with a nod.  
"Dad insisted," Goten told Trunks with a resigned shrug. "I had to postpone a date for it," he added, just a little annoyed. He liked the World's Martial Arts Championship, but he really liked that cute girl, too. Well, it was just one date pushed back for just one day; the competition was only held once every few years.  
"Someone entered that I think has a great deal of power," Goku explained. "I want to fight him so I can know for sure." Vegeta and Bulma stared at him in surprise, as did Trunks and Goten.  
"And who would this mysterious fighter be?" Vegeta demanded. Goku just grinned.  
"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you," he answered.  
"Fine, then! I'll enter as well! And how about you, Trunks?" Vegeta sent his son a quick look. Trunks looked surprised for a moment and then shrugged.  
"Sure, why not? It's always good for a laugh, if nothing else," Trunks said, a smile starting to curl his lips as his heart rate picked up. Goten, too, was starting to get an excited sparkle in his eyes.  
"Yeah. . .it's about time we had a real re-match," Goten said, looking at Trunks. Trunks' grin became a smirk so identical to his father's it was almost scary.  
"You really want me to kick your scrawny, tailless rump again?" Trunks asked.  
"We'll see who kicks whose tailless rump!" Goten answered, and their fathers chuckled.  
"Sensei, you're going to be in the World's Competition?" one of Goku's students who was still there asked, his little eyes wide.  
"Yeah, I am," Goku nodded at him.  
"WOOOOW!" all of the remaining students cried, and they all began chattering about going to the competition to watch him and Goten.  
"Hey, I'd love to see you all there!" Goku said. Just then, all who could sense it tilted their heads to the sky as a small twinkle of ki appeared. A few seconds later, a very cute, four-year-old girl with black hair and dark eyes, dressed in a little orange gi suit, came flying out of the sky to land at Goku's feet. She looked up at Goku with wide, sparkling eyes.  
"Grandpa, Uncle Goten, I just flew around the whole world again!" she declared happily, throwing her little arms into the air. Around her wrist she wore one of Goku's class bracelets, with four Dragonball charms on it.  
"I think that was your best time yet, Pan! I'm so proud!" Goku said, scooping up his granddaughter in a happy hug. The other students that were still there regarded the small child with awe and just a tiny amount of fear.  
"You're getting better at flying all the time, Pan! I didn't learn to fly until I was six," Goten observed, smiling at his little niece.  
"Thanks, Uncle Goten!" Pan replied, thrilled with the praise. "Why'd it take so long for you to learn?"  
"'Cause it didn't occur to anyone to teach me," Goten answered with a chuckle.  
"Sensei, will you teach us how to fly?" A little green-haired girl asked, staring at Goku, Pan, and Goten with curious, eager eyes. The other students began crowding closer to hear the answer, with murmurs and calls of "Yeah? Will we?"  
"That's a special lesson reserved for the Four- and Five-Stars," Goku said. "And not everyone will be able to do it. Pan can because it's in her blood, but it can be very tricky for most other people."  
"Oh," the students said as one.  
"Are you gonna be in the tournament, too, Pan?" Clover asked casually.  
"Uh-huh! I sure am!" Pan answered, and the other students stared at her in shock.  
"But you're just a baby!" one of the oldest students said before she could think better of it.  
"I am not a baby! I'm four!" Pan snapped back, automatically sticking her lower lip out in a little pout without meaning to. "An' I'm already a Four-Star!" she pointed out, stretching her bracelet-arm out to show them her charms.  
"And all fairly earned, too," Goku said with a nod. "She'll be fine." The other students murmured amongst themselves, at the same time disbelieving of Pan's entering the contest and believing she could do quite well. The little girl was most uncanny in her power and her skill. Vegeta suddenly chuckled and Goku turned his head to look at him. "What?" he asked suspiciously.  
"I was just thinking that I ought to ask Bra if she'd like to compete - then we could see if your granddaughter can hold her own against the Princess of all Saiyans," Vegeta answered, smirking again. Bra was Vegeta and Bulma's five year old daughter. She looked almost exactly like her mother did at that age, until she got mad or smirked - then she looked more like her father. She was sweet, very smart, and had a bit of a temper. Goku smirked in reply.  
"That could be fun," he agreed. "If Bra wants to."  
"Ooh, it'd be really fun if Bra entered!" Pan squealed. "She's a really good fighter, too!"  
"I'll ask her when we get home," Vegeta nodded casually.  
"Don't pressure her too much, okay, Vegeta?" Bulma said.  
"Of course not," Vegeta replied.  
"Well, Dad, Trunks and I need to get going and finish that project for school," Goten said, and Goku nodded at him. Vegeta nodded at Trunks, as well, who nodded back.  
"Okay! You go on ahead! Most of the kids are already on their way home!" Goku said.  
"See you later, Uncle Goten!" Pan called, and Goten waved to his father and niece before taking off with Trunks. Goku watched his youngest son and his best friend fly off. It was an established rule of the school that someone had to stay there and see all of the young students safely off with their parents. Occasionally, Goku even took a few of them home himself. The few students that were still waiting to be picked up were buzzing about the World's Championship. He could hear them comparing him to the "Champ", Hercule, and chuckled to himself.  
"Well, we'd better be going, too," Bulma said, having calmed down completely. "Capsule Corp. doesn't run itself, you know." A few years ago, she'd become the full president of the company, after her father had finally retired. With the additional corporate responsibilities, she now had a much larger workload than before.  
"All right; I'll see you guys at the Championship, then! Oh, say, Vegeta - have you given any thought to my suggestion of you helping with my classes sometime? Just for fun?" Goku asked as they turned to leave.  
"I did - but I don't think so, Kakkarot. My hands are full enough helping Bulma run her company. But, maybe someday," Vegeta answered with a small, relaxed smile, as he and Bulma walked away. He'd started helping Bulma largely to have something to do other than train all day, and had discovered that running the largest company on the planet wasn't all that different from overseeing a vast kingdom. He found he actually enjoyed it most of the time.  
Goku watched his old friends leave, and then waited for the rest of the parents to pick up the remaining students. Many of them left excitedly asking their parents if it would be possible to go to the World's Championship. Once the last one was safely off home, Goku gave Pan's back a pat.  
"It's time for us to go home, too," he said.  
"Okay, Grandpa!" Pan said cheerfully, as he lifted into the air and flew back home with his granddaughter securely in his arms. They arrived home within moments, and Pan dashed towards Gohan and Videl, who were waiting outside for her.  
"Mommy! Daddy! Grandma!" Pan called out in greeting as she ran up to her parents. Goku went to Chi-Chi, who was standing in front of their door, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.  
"Hello, Pan!" Chi-Chi said.  
"How's my girl? Did you do good in class today?" Gohan asked. He and Videl had initially trained her themselves, but she had wanted the pretty bracelet and charms her grandfather was using, so she joined his classes.  
"Yeah! I flew around the whole world three times!" Pan said.  
"Wow!" Gohan and Videl said together.  
"Did your class go well?" Chi-Chi asked her husband as he wrapped one large, well-muscled arm around her shoulders.  
"Yep! Clover got her Third Star today!" Goku said proudly. "The girl has 'Planet-Saver' written all over her."  
"That's good to hear," Chi-Chi chuckled. "Goten and Trunks are inside, working on their project, and dinner is just about ready."  
"Great! I'm starving!" Goku answered. "Big surprise, huh?" he added with a chuckle.  
"I'm absolutely shocked," Chi-Chi said with a laughing grin.  
  
"Well, Bra? Would you like to sign up for the World's Martial Arts Championship, too?" Vegeta asked his five-year-old daughter. Bra looked thoughtful at the question.  
"I dunno. . .I don't like beating up people lots weaker than me," she observed. "An' I can't control my ki blasts good yet."  
"Ki blasts won't be necessary there, Bra! Not to worry!" Trunks said. He was leaning against the wall, while Bra sat on the couch with their father beside her.  
"And Pan will be there, so there'll be one person in the children's division who won't be a total weakling," Vegeta added.  
"Weelllll. . .sparing with Pan is fun. . ." Bra said thoughtfully, looking at her father. She completely worshiped him and didn't want to disappoint him. . .and it did sound like fun. . . "Okay, Daddy. I'll sign up for the children's division!" she said with a sunny smile, and Vegeta beamed at her.  
"Glad to hear it! That settles that!" Vegeta said, and ruffled her blue hair. She giggled happily at her father's attentions.  
"Vegeta, could you come here a second?" Bulma called from the kitchen.  
"Coming," Vegeta answered and rose from the couch. He was in the kitchen in a matter of moments, where Bulma stood next to her mother, making dinner, both their backs to him. "Yes, what is it?" Vegeta said, as he merrily studied his wife's backside. Bulma turned with a smile and a raised, wooden spoon full of a white-pinkish sauce.  
"Well, firstly, I thought you'd like to sample this new sauce recipe we're trying, before it gets poured over the food," Bulma said. Vegeta grinned a bit and sauntered over. He took a sip off the spoon without taking it from her hand, then nodded.  
"Not bad," he commented.  
"Good; I was afraid we'd screwed it up," Bulma said, turning back around. Vegeta moseyed up behind her and slid an arm around her waist. Bulma leaned into him happily and Mrs. Briefs turned around, pretending to suddenly have something to do at the far end of the massive kitchen. "So, what did Bra say?" Bulma asked.  
"She's agreed to enter as well," Vegeta answered with a grin.  
"All right, then," Bulma nodded. "I hope she doesn't hurt anyone too badly."  
"She won't; she always pulls her punches when she knows her opponents are weaker than she is," Vegeta answered firmly. Bulma nodded in agreement.  
"Well, we'd all better go to bed early tonight, then; you all have a big day tomorrow," she said, turning her head to look in his eyes.  
"My thoughts exactly," Vegeta replied, his gaze twinkling with a mischievous desire.  
  
The sun was warm and bright overhead as the Son family, including Great-Grandpa Ox-King, strolled through the milling crowd at the World's Martial Arts Championship. It looked like a large fair was being held, with all of the booths that were selling food and souvenirs, and the various games and rides that were set up. Pan ran and skipped ahead of the group, excitedly leading them through the crowd, and wanting to see everything. As her amused family watched, she destroyed the "Ring the Bell" game with one swing of the hammer, and they all clapped proudly. She walked away with the biggest teddy bear the man had, which was easily four times her size. She had to carry it on her back, since her little arms wouldn't go around it, and it almost looked like the toy bear was walking by itself! Later, Goku lifted her onto his wide shoulders so she could shake hands with a very tall, costumed character. Their group sampled everything there was to eat, though Chi-Chi and Videl only had a few bites each off of their husbands' plates. The women knew perfectly well that they'd make themselves very sick if they tried to eat everything the Saiyans ate.  
"Mommy and Grandma Chi-Chi never eat very much," Pan observed as she ate her fifth treat, a hotdog with everything on it that was so big that it overflowed both her little hands by a few inches. "Aren't you hungry?" she asked the two women.  
"Not anymore," Chi-Chi answered, as she nibbled another fry from Goku's tray.  
"Well, we don't have as big a stomach as you, your daddy, and your grandpa have," Videl answered, glancing at Gohan as he ate his second hotdog. He nodded.  
"Saiyans and people with Saiyan blood have to eat a lot to keep going; that's just how we are," Gohan agreed  
"Yep - big appetites come with the territory!" Goku added. "But Grandma Chi-Chi and your mommy are all human, so they don't have to eat nearly as much." Ox-King gave a raspy chuckle.  
"And I'd swear that appetite only grows over time!" Ox-King said.  
"Oh," Pan answered. "But, Great-Grandpa Ox-King, aren't you all human? You still eat a lot," she added. Ox-king chuckled again.  
"I'm also a really big guy! I have a big stomach, too! Just not as big as your daddy's and grandpa's!" he said, jovially patting his considerable midsection, while the other adults laughed.  
Pan finished her hotdog and wiped her hands on a napkin. "Can we get some ice cream now?" she asked eagerly, pointing to an ice cream stand nearby that purportedly sold sundaes in cones.  
"Sure!" Goku answered, standing up and taking Pan's hand to take her over to the booth.  
"Dad, you're going to spoil her," Gohan spoke up, the grin on his face belying any true concern he might have felt.  
"It's just a little ice cream!" Goku answered. "I'll bring you guys back some too, okay?" he said, and then the two disappeared into the crowd.  
Goku got Pan's sundae first, a large cone cradling the five scoops of five different flavors and chocolate sauce. Pan giggled happily at the sweet treat in her hands, but before she could eat any of it, a tall boy of about thirteen came running out of the crowd with an armload of stolen knickknacks. Hot on his heels was a woman yelling for him to come back. The boy wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him and plowed straight into Pan, pushing her over and knocking her ice cream from her hand. It all hit the ground with a soft *splat*. After she stood up, she stared momentarily at her ruined cone splattered all over the pavement, then turned angry, teary eyes to the boy.  
"What do you want?!" the boy snapped. "Get out of here, you baby!" Pan continued to stare at him and growl, as Goku turned around with his own sundae, which boasted six heaping scoops of ice cream and a whole banana in the large cake-cone.  
"Uh-oh. . ." Goku breathed when he caught the scene before him. Before he could move, however, Pan suddenly burst into wailing tears. The boy, she had privately decided, wasn't worth the time and energy of pounding on; instead, she chose just to be upset over her ruined ice cream. The boy backed up in surprise, but the delay was enough to allow his pursuer to catch him and drag him off to the security guard station. Goku quickly ran over and picked up his sobbing granddaughter. "Aw, it's okay, Pan! Shh, shh! Don't cry! Here, you can have some of Grandpa's ice cream!" Goku said, offering her the massive cone. Pan cried for a few moments more, but rapidly calmed down as Goku carried her back to join the rest of their family. Goku's large cone wound up being shared with pretty much the whole family, since he hadn't had the chance to get some ice cream for everyone as he'd said he would. Chi-Chi and Videl hadn't wanted full cones, anyway. It was mid-afternoon when the Son family spotted a crowd of familiar faces heading in their direction. The Vegeta-Briefs family led the way, with Krillin, Eighteen, their daughter Marron, Yamcha, Piccolo, Dende, Tien, and Chiao-Tzu behind them.  
"Hey, guys!" Goku called out first and the rest of his family followed suit.  
"Hi, Goku!" they called in turn. The typical round of "hellos" went around, with Bra and Pan addressing nearly all the adult men "Uncle" and the women "Aunt", as was their habit. All of them were practically family, anyway, so none of them minded - not even Vegeta (very much).  
"So what brings you all out here?" Goku asked, turning to the people who hadn't entered the tournament. For the tall Saiyan, it felt strange seeing his friends starting to show their ages; most had lines around their eyes and mouths and touches of gray in their hair. On the other hand, he looked as if time had hardly touched him.  
"We heard about this exceptionally strong fighter you were talking about, and decided to check him out for ourselves," Krillin explained, as Tien, Chiao-Tzu, and Piccolo nodded. They'd lost interest in the Tournament a long time ago; it held no real challenge to them. "So, what is he? Alien? Android?"  
"Neither! He's a pure, home-grown Earthling! You'll see when the tournament starts!" Goku answered with a grin.  
"Which reminds me, it's time we headed for the arena," Vegeta observed, checking his wristwatch. "The preliminaries will be starting soon."  
"You're right, and Pan hasn't been taken to see her other grandpa yet!" Goku said, and Pan looked up at him with a smile. "We'd better get going."  
"All right, then," Chi-Chi said. "Let me give you something for good luck - not that you'll need it," she said and stretched onto her tip-toes to kiss him on the lips. Goku merrily returned the kiss and Vegeta let out a small snort.  
"Right in public - honestly!" the Saiyan Prince muttered.  
"Oh, really? Guess that means you don't want a kiss for good luck," Bulma shrugged and started to move away. Vegeta caught her wrist and pulled her back against him before she went more than two steps.  
"Never said that," he said with his trademark evil smirk right before he planted a lusty kiss on his giggling wife. Goku and Chi-Chi broke their kiss and glanced at the other couple. "He's always trying to 'one-up' me," Goku observed quietly, barely containing a short laugh as Vegeta and Bulma finished kissing. Chi-Chi stifled a small giggle at her husband's words. Then it was time for the competitors to be on their way.  
  
In his private lounge, Mr. Satan was having a small drink with Fat Buu as they waited for the tournament to start. Bee, now an old dog, laid at their feet, lightly dozing. Mr. Satan had lost a fair amount of hair in the ten years since the fall of evil Kid Buu and his face was well-lined, but his body was still in good shape and he had high hopes for holding his title for another few years. Higher hopes than were, perhaps, realistic, but he held onto them, anyway.  
"I tell ya, Buu, I live for these tournaments," Mr. Satan said as he sat back in his couch with a comfortable sigh. Before Buu could answer, there was a knock at the door. "No autographs or interviews!" Mr. Satan yelled at the closed door. As much as he loved all the attention from the press and his fans, it did get a little tiring after a while.  
"Hercule, it's me!" Goku's voice came through the door, and Mr. Satan and Buu both jumped to their feet. Mr. Satan threw the door open and smiled at his daughter's father-in-law.  
"Goku! Hi!" Mr. Satan said as he extended his hand out and Goku grasped it firmly.  
"How ya doing, Hercule?" Goku asked cheerfully.  
"Just fine! Sorry I haven't been by lately, but I've been training real hard for the tournament," Mr. Satan answered.  
"Hi, Grandpa Hercule!" Pan called up and Hercule looked down at his little granddaughter with a big grin.  
"Aw! How's my favorite little girl?" Hercule asked as he swept her up into a big hug, pressing her smooth little cheek against his own.  
"I'm great, Grandpa Hercule!" Pan replied cheerfully. "Your beard itches!" she added. He chuckled at this and loosened his embrace so she wasn't pressed against his stubbly cheek.  
"You guys came all the way out here to cheer me on?" Hercule asked then, truly touched.  
"Uhh, actually, we're in the tournament," Goku admitted.  
"Me, too!" Pan said with a big smile.  
"Y-You're in the tournament?" Mr. Satan felt his resolve start to crumble. Glancing down the hall, he saw Trunks and Goten trading a few practice blows. The boys spotted him, and in a moment of light-hearted silliness, struck a pose.  
"You ready to rumble?" they asked together. They'd planned that on the way up; it was only the posing that was spontaneous. Mr. Satan visibly paled.  
"All four of you?" he asked. All at once, he was concerned for his grandchild's safety and deeply worried about the serious ass-kicking Goku, Goten, and Trunks could give him.  
"And Vegeta," Goku added. Mr. Satan knew he was a goner. "Aw, don't worry, 'Champ' - we'll let you win." Goku grinned reassuringly at the human man.  
"R-really?!" Mr. Satan gasped, relief shooting through his veins.  
"Sure, if one of us gets to the final round," Goku said with a nod. "Although, there's a new guy here that I think might be able to beat us." Mr. Satan paled again.  
"That's a joke, right?" he asked. Goku just continued grinning.  
"Not really," Goku said. Then he frowned suddenly. "Oh, wait, I forgot - given his age, he'll be in the children's division! Darn! I really wanted to have a match with him!" Everyone stared at him blankly.  
"The children's division? This really strong guy you've been talking about. . .is a kid?!" Goten balked.  
"You never said that before, Grandpa," Pan said.  
"I don't believe this," Trunks muttered. Mr. Satan, on the other hand, looked relieved once again. At that moment, the PA system squawked to life.  
"Attention, everyone! Attention! Due to a severe lack of child entries, there will be no children's division this year. Those children who wish to be in the tournament may fight with the adults if they choose," the voice of the usual announcer said.  
"All right!!" Goku cheered.  
"Yay! I get to fight with the grown ups!" Pan cheered as well. The reigning World's Champion looked like he was going to lose his lunch.  
  
The time had finally come for the World's Martial Arts Championship to start. The Z-Fighters and their families had a private box, thanks to Bulma; being the richest woman in the world had advantages. Since only three kids had decided to go ahead and fight with the grown ups, they used the punching machine to pass through the preliminary round, like the adults did - and all scored very high. The board for charting the progression of the fights stood in the ring, along with a table with a big box on it. The announcer, also going bald now, but still as energetic as ever, ran into the center of the ring with his microphone held high.  
"Good afternoon, everyone! And welcome to the 28th World's Martial Arts Tournament!" he called out, and the crowd cheered their response. "You've already heard there won't be any children's division this year, so we're going straight to the main event! Here are our twelve finalists!" He waved to the backstage area, out of which came the twelve finalists: Goku, Vegeta, Goten, Trunks, Pan, Bra, Buu, a big guy who reminded Goku and Vegeta of Nappa, a young, red-haired punk, a blonde pretty boy, a young, dark-skinned boy who looked very nervous, and another man who looked like a Village People reject. The crowd cheered and they each took it in their own way. The Saiyans simply listened and smiled at the crowd, the two young men were playing it up, the big guys seemed completely indifferent, and the young boy just stood there in his bare feet and trembled. He wasn't used to large crowds and he was beginning to wonder if he truly stood a chance in the Championship. ((I swore I'd win and bring back lots of food for everyone, but maybe my mother was right. . .I know I'm the strongest in my village, but there are stronger men out there! These guys all look so powerful!)) the boy thought unhappily. The big Nappa look- alike glared down at tiny Pan and little Bra, a little insulted by their presence.  
"The competitors will now draw lots to determine who will fight who in our first round!" the announcer said, and two of the orange-wearing tournament workers stepped forward, one holding a clipboard with the names on it.  
"First up - Goten Son," the man with the clipboard called out.  
"Here!" Goten said and trotted over to pull out his number.  
"Hey, Buu," Goku leaned over and whispered to the big, pink fighter.  
"Yes?" Buu tilted his head toward his Saiyan friend.  
"I have a favor to ask - I want you to use your power to make sure I fight a specific person," Goku said. Vegeta arched an eyebrow at him in surprise.  
"It's not like you to break the rules, Kakkarot," Vegeta said.  
"I know," Goku admitted a little sheepishly. "But I want to fight this guy in the first round, while we're both fresh," he explained.  
"Wild Tiger," the man with the clipboard called. The big guy that reminded Goku and Vegeta of Nappa marched over and reached into the box. A moment later, he pulled out a green ball marked with a big, black 2 painted on it. The second worker wrote Wild Tiger's name on the chart under the number two. The next fighters to be called up were the red-haired punk, the blonde pretty boy, followed by the Village-people reject. "Pan Son!" Upon hearing her name, Pan gleefully ran up and reached into the box, feeling the balls inside.  
"Pan Son here, is, believe it or not folks, the champ's own granddaughter!" the announcer declared, covering up Goku's voice as he leaned over to Buu again.  
"Buu, give her number one," Goku said. Backstage, Wild Tiger had been making some nasty remarks about fighting children and Goku thought it prudent to teach him not to underestimate an opponent. Pan selected a ball and Buu raised one gloved hand. Unseen, inside the box, the number on the ball changed to number 1. Pan pulled it out and let out a happy laugh.  
"I got number one!" Pan crowed gleefully and went skipping back across the stage to her grandfather and uncle. "Number 1! Number 1! Number 1! Yeah!"  
"What?!" Wild Tiger groused. "I have to fight that infant? Champ's granddaughter or no, one punch from me will probably snap her in half!" Hearing that, Pan stuck her tongue out at him and Goku just smirked to himself a little. Bra went next and Buu gave her number six, then it was Goku's turn. He looked at the board and found an open bracket.  
"Buu, give me number three," Goku whispered to him before he went to pull his number. Buu smiled, and did as he was asked.  
"The tournament just hasn't been the same without you, Goku!" the announcer said as Goku felt around for a ball.  
"It's good to be back!" Goku agreed. For him, the Championship had become just something that could be fun to do, had he ever wanted to again participate in it; but this competition no longer held any real training value. Because of that, he hadn't bothered to make an appearance in the last few tournaments. Today, however, was going to be a different story. He pulled out his ball with number three then rejoined his friends and family.  
"Uub!" the man with the clipboard called. The dark-skinned boy startled at the mention of his name over the loudspeakers and walked forward stiffly.  
"Ten-year-old Uub is here for the first time. . ." the announcer began and Goku quickly leaned over to Buu again.  
"Okay, give him number four!" Goku instructed. Buu giggled and did as he had before with the other balls Goku had asked him to change, magically altering it before it was pulled out of the box.  
"What?! That child is the powerful fighter you've been going on about?!" Vegeta hissed.  
"Uh-huh," Goku said. "I know he doesn't look like much, but I'm sure he's got great power."  
"And you know this how? I don't feel much ki in him," Vegeta said.  
"Because he's suppressing it. Listen, this might sound a little nuts, but I'm pretty sure that kid is the reincarnation of Kid Buu," Goku explained. Vegeta and Fat Buu stared at him wide-eyed. "Bear with me a minute - right before Kid Buu was destroyed, I wished he could come back as a good person, to have a real chance at life. King Yemma must have heard my prayer and granted it. Think about it - he's exactly the right age, the power he has, and most of all, his name! Uub - U-u-b! It's Buu backwards!" Vegeta and Buu turned and looked at the skinny, half-starved boy as he sat down on the stage, still looking nervous.  
"Buu feel his power now. . .is like Buu's. . .maybe is Kid Buu?" Buu said quietly, still surprised and not sure he believed it.  
"Now, wait a minute! How could that little monstrosity be reincarnated as a good person? There was no good in him to bring out!" Vegeta observed hotly. He wasn't wrong, either. Kid Buu had nothing in him but the desire to kill and destroy; once he had spit out the good Buu, there had remained nothing inside him but a dark and deeply evil soul.  
"True. . .it must be because all of his memories were wiped clean. Still, it's another reason for us to keep an eye on him - to make sure he stays good," Goku answered thoughtfully.  
"How did you know about him, Kakkarot?" Vegeta asked, now genuinely curious.  
"I didn't, at first. It was when I was passing by here a few days ago that I noticed him. I was supervising Pan's first around-the-world flight; we were right over this island, and I suddenly felt someone with a huge, suppressed ki. When I landed briefly to see who it was, there was that kid. I've been thinking about ever since and I finally hit on what the explanation must be yesterday," Goku explained.  
"Uh-huh," Vegeta grunted. "Sheer luck, then."  
"Yep, sheer luck," Goku nodded.  
The man with the clipboard resumed calling names and it was back to the usual honest drawing; before long, the matches were decided. Fight one: Pan vs Wild Tiger. Fight two: Goku vs Uub. Fight three: Bra vs. The blonde pretty boy, Narig. Fight four: Goten vs. Buu. Fight five: Trunks vs the Village-People reject, Otokoski. Fight six: Vegeta vs Knock, the red-haired punk.  
"Aw, man!! Why do I have to go against Buu in the first round?!" Goten complained loudly.  
"Bad luck, I guess. So much for our rematch. Still, it could be worse," Trunks said, trying to comfort his friend.  
"Like how?" Goten answered. As if on cue, Otokoski strolled up to them, eyeing Trunks in a way that was clearly not simply sizing up a fellow fighter.  
"So you're my first opponent, huh? Great! Cute things like you are my favorite kind of opponent!" he stated cheerfully, then winked at Trunks and walked off. Trunks froze to the spot, so mortified by what had just happened that he was blue in the face.  
"Okay, you win - yours is worse!" Goten said, looking just as unsettled as Trunks.  
Uub remained mostly in his own thoughts, looking nervously at the board. ((My first fight is with Goku. . .now, which one is Goku?)) he wondered and looked around. His eyes fell on Goku, who was studying him with thoughtful eyes. ((Great. . .just great. . .I bet he's really powerful!)) Uub swallowed tightly.  
"So you're gonna be my first fight, old man?" Knock sneered at Vegeta. Vegeta didn't answer. "Oh, got a bit of an attitude, eh? Or maybe you're just so old and ugly you can't hear well anymore!" Knock mocked and walked right up to Vegeta to speak directly into his ear. "What a joke! You're gonna die, old man! You're gonna diiiiiieee. . ." He never got to finish his so-called threat; Vegeta nonchalantly lifted one arm and tapped his face, sending his taunting challenger flying through the tournament sign by the waiting area. The announcer pivoted around at the sudden noise.  
"Tell the judges that my opponent has decided to forfeit," Vegeta said casually. He could hear the young man groaning, so he wasn't dead. He probably needed to have his nose and cheekbones looked at, but otherwise, he was fine.  
"You're so powerful, Papa!" Bra said cheerfully, looking up at her father with wide, adoring eyes. Vegeta just smiled a little. Knock's name was crossed off the list.  
"All right, then. . ." the announcer said cautiously. "The first round will start in ten minutes! Please clear the ring!" The announcer said and they all left the stage. The board with their names on it was moved to stand in front of the waiting area.  
"Couldn't Vegeta have waited until the match actually started?" Bulma sighed. "I wonder what that kid was saying to him. . ."  
  
Gohan and Videl managed to get into the waiting area to give Pan a few last minute words of encouragement as they all waited for the first round to start.  
"Now, remember your lessons and fight hard," Gohan said as he gently tightened her belt and then rubbed her head lovingly.  
"Try not to hurt anyone too badly, though," Videl added. "Remember, you're a lot stronger than a normal little girl."  
"Don't worry, Mommy! Daddy! I'll do my best!" Pan said.  
Gohan glanced towards his other family in the tournament. "Hey, Dad, little bro. . .Good luck to you, too! Try not to blow the stage up!"  
"We'll be careful, son," Goku said. "At least until such time as Vegeta and I meet in the ring, in which case, all bets are off." Vegeta chuckled from where he was standing at the comment.  
"I'm gonna need luck, to win against Buu," Goten sighed.  
"I'm sure you'll do fine," Videl answered encouragingly and Goten shrugged.  
"Attention! Round One will now begin! First up, Wild Tiger vs. Son Pan!" the announcer's voice suddenly filled the room. Pan leaped to her feet and dashed outside. Gohan and Videl quickly made their way back to their seats so they wouldn't miss anything. Pan all but bounced into the arena, with Wild Tiger trudging behind her, still ticked he had to 'fight' a little girl. He found the whole thing rather humiliating. ((Well,)) he thought to himself, ((at least my first fight will be quick and not tiring.))  
Hercule moved through the crowd of waiting fighters to watch his grandchild head for the ring. Even knowing she had Gohan's blood in her, her grandfather couldn't help but be nervous for her well-being. She was so small and all of the other fighters were so big in comparison! She seemed perfectly cheerful and confident, though. Pan and Wild Tiger entered the ring and Pan bowed to her opponent. Wild Tiger didn't return the respectful gesture and just frowned. Pan shifted into a battle stance, but Wild Tiger still stood there, unbelieving his bad luck. He figured he'd let her swing first, then he'd knock her out of the ring, gentle-like. She was the champ's granddaughter, so hurting her more than necessary would probably cost him later when he faced the champ in the final round; Hercule Satan was getting old, but he could still put up a decent fight.  
"Ready, and. . .BEGIN!" the announcer declared and the audience cheered. Wild Tiger took a step forward. . .suddenly, Pan was literally in his face, delivering an ear-ringing blow to his cheek. He started to topple forward and she kicked his chest. The next thing he knew, he was flying out of the ring and smashing into the wall below the first row of stadium seats. "And the winner of the first fight is Son Pan by ring-out and knockout!" the announcer called out, and the now-quiet audience just stared in shock.  
"H-how did she do that?" Hercule asked quietly.  
"Well, isn't it obvious?" Trunks asked, arching a light-purple eyebrow. Hercule turned his head to look at the young half-Saiyan blankly. "She's you're granddaughter, after all!" Trunks finished, grinning at his little joke. Hercule stared at him for a second, then looked at Goku, who was smiling at his jubilant granddaughter in the arena. Eventually, Hercule also smiled; understanding better than they realized whose blood really made the difference.  
"Of course!" he said to Trunks, with a fast wink. "I knew that!" Pan came running back in, all excited with her first tournament win.  
"Grandpa Goku! Grandpa Hercule! Uncle Goten! Did you see? I beat that big guy real easy!" she said, her eyes shining with excitement.  
"We sure did! You did great!" Goku said, smiling down at her.  
"Truly excellent - he never knew what hit him!" Goten agreed.  
"I'm truly impressed!" Hercule stated, and it was no lie.  
"And now, our next battle - Son Goku vs. Uub!" the announcer's voice suddenly came to them and Goku straightened up.  
"Well, it's my turn now," Goku said.  
"Good luck, Grandpa!" Pan called out.  
"Have fun, Dad!" Goten gave him a quick pat on the shoulder.  
"Thanks! I will!" Goku answered and marched out to the arena, young Uub behind him.  
Goku and Uub climbed onto the stage, as the announcer introduced them and gave the crowd brief backgrounds on both fighters. Goku studied his young opponent with a mixture of curiosity and eagerness; he knew he was right. Uub was Kid Buu reborn and Goku could sense that the boy had amazing hidden powers. This would be a good fight! Uub, however, only glanced at him briefly. His dark eyes kept darting to the large, noisy crowd that surrounded them, and pearls of nervous sweat slipped down his skin. The loose, baggy pants and a single strip of cloth wrapped diagonally across his chest appeared worn, thin and dirty, and he looked like he came from a poor family.  
"This will be the real prize bout," Piccolo observed quietly.  
"Yeah," Dende agreed. It hadn't been easy, with all of the noise the crowd was making, and the announcer's running commentary, but the Nameks had heard Goku's remarks to Vegeta about Uub. They were both unsure as to whether or not they believed it, but if Goku was right, then they needed to keep an eye on this kid.  
"Ready, and. . .BEGIN!" the announcer said and leapt out of the ring. Goku and Uub continued to stand there, Goku waiting for Uub to make a move, and Uub frozen in fear, still staring at the audience.  
"Get that kid a hotdog!" someone in the crowd called out.  
"Two hotdogs! He needs to put some weight on!" another person yelled, causing a ripple of laughter in his section. It was true that Uub looked very thin and bony, as though he hadn't had a good meal in a long time, but he was still surprisingly healthy.  
"Hey! Relax! You'll never fight to your full potential all tense like that!" Goku said, offering a reassuring smile as he watched the boy tremble in fear of the watching crowd.  
"R-r-right, sir," Uub answered, but grew no more relaxed. Goku frowned a little; he'd never get even so much as a glimpse at Uub's power level if the kid couldn't stop cowering and focus on the fight. ((I hate to do this, but this calls for drastic measures.)) Goku thought and then drew in a long breath.  
"Sheesh! This is a waste of time! How am I supposed to fight someone who can be taken down with stage fright?" Goku demanded in a loud voice. Uub blinked in surprise. "And when was the last time you had a bath? You actually smell worse than you look, and that's saying something! Of course, I bet your whole family's pretty ugly!" He didn't like insulting people, but if he could just get the kid mad enough to forget the crowd. . .  
"What is your dad doing?" Trunks asked as he and Goten leaned on the sign that filled most of the doorway from the waiting area.  
"I'm not sure. . ." Goten answered. "I have an idea, though. . ."  
Uub stared at Goku in surprise and growing anger. How dare that man insult him like that! He didn't know anything about him! All right, maybe it had been a while since he'd last washed with soap and water, but he didn't smell that bad! And he and his family weren't ugly! Still, his fear of the crowd kept him rooted to the spot.  
"Yeah, you heard me! I bet your mama's really fat, too!" Goku continued his verbal assault and watched as the boy's fearful trembling changed into something else. ((And now the finishing blow!)) Goku thought as he lunged forward at the boy. "And your father is a bed-wetter!" he declared and swung a kick at him that Uub barely dodged. The child stumbled to a halt a few feet from Goku, now shaking with rage, his eyes flashing.  
"I don't smell," he said. "My family isn't ugly! My mother isn't fat! And my father ISN'T A BED-WETTER!" Uub yelled in fury. His small body began to expand a little as his ki finally flowed freely and then he ran at Goku full bore.  
"That's better!" Goku grinned as he blocked the boy's first punch. When a sharp pain shot through the arm he used to block the hit, his suspicions were confirmed. No human child could ever hit him hard enough for it to hurt like that unless it was the reincarnation of Kid Buu! The two combatants began exchanging blows at high speed, their limbs blurring out of sight for most of the watching crowd. It seemed impossible, but Uub was actually keeping up with Goku!  
"I don't believe it - that kid was the fighter Dad was talking about?" Gohan gasped as he watched the fight below.  
"No way--!" Bulma observed in a shaky voice. The idea seemed insane; how could that child be the powerful fighter that Goku had been excited about?  
"How is an underfed ten-year-old keeping up with Goku?" Krillin asked in quiet surprise.  
"And it's not like Goku is going easy on him . . ." Yamcha agreed.  
"Well, he's not being as hard on him as he could be, either," Chi-Chi answered, though she was also awe-struck. "He hasn't gone up to Super Saiyan." Quiet murmurs of agreement followed her statement.  
Down in the ring, the fight was beginning to heat up. Uub was proving surprisingly fast and strong, and Goku was doing all he could to block the incoming blows and give back a few of his own. Something deep inside told the Saiyan to stay in his normal state for the moment; if the need should arise, he would go Super Saiyan, but not yet. The force generated by their blows was pulling up panels from the arena floor and small bits of debris were sent flying. Goku, being the more skilled of the two, had the upper hand, but Uub was gaining ground fast as he started mimicking some of Goku's own attacks.  
"Incredible. . .he's learning new techniques while fighting!" Vegeta said as he watched the match with a critical eye. A moment later, it occurred to him that Buu had done the same thing - he could pick up on a move just by seeing it once. . .at most, twice. ((You're right, old friend; we definitely need to keep a close eye on this boy. . .))  
"Wow, look at sensei go!" one of Goku's students cried out.  
"He's so cool!" agreed another of Goku's students, sitting nearby.  
The battle raged for several minutes, Uub's ki growing strong enough to be seen with the naked eye. At this point, the floor of the arena was badly torn up as the two continued to exchange blows. Uub's initial anger had waned, now replaced by the sheer determination forcing him onwards. ((I have to win; I need that money for food for my village! I can't lose - I WON'T lose!!)) he told himself over and over again. Suddenly, Goku seemed to disappear. Uub looked around desperately, but his opponent was gone from the ring. Something told him to look up, and there was Goku, floating in the sky. Less than second later, Goku dropped on him like several tons of bricks, slamming the boy into the arena floor.  
"Need to be a little faster there, kiddo!" Goku chuckled as Uub growled and pushed himself back onto his feet. The battle resumed, their limbs blurring back out of sight, and more of the arena's floor started flying every which way. The announcer had long since ducked into the safest corner he could find and did his best to give something akin to a play-by-play.  
"Goku and Uub are trading blows faster than the eye can see! I don't think I've ever even seen Hercule do such a thing! It's absolutely amazing!" the announcer said into his microphone as Goku and Uub moved around the ring. The fight continued for a while longer, until Goku disappeared again. Uub looked around frantically, before again snapping his head skyward in time to see Goku cup his hands to one side.  
"Ka-me-ha-me-HA!" Goku said quickly and the ball of ki energy flew at Uub. The boy barely dodged, but the ki ball struck the stage and blew off a chunk of it, knocking the dark-skinned boy out of the ring and onto the grassy ground. Goku stared in surprise.  
"And the winner is GOKU!" the announcer cried out and the audience roared its approval. A disheartened Uub stayed where he was, tears streaming down his face. Goku landed lightly beside him, looking a little perplexed.  
"Gee, kid, I'm sorry. If I'd known you couldn't fly, I wouldn't have done that," Goku said. He was disappointed their fight had ended already; it seemed he'd overestimated Uub's fighting abilities. Uub didn't answer and kept crying. "You need more training, that's for sure. I'd like to help you with that; I run a martial arts school and I really think you'd benefit from it," Goku said, smiling in hopes of lifting the boy's spirits a bit. Uub gave him a skeptical look as a few more tears fell down his cheeks. "C'mon, Uub, I know it's hard to lose in the first round, but you don't have to take it so hard. You did great," Goku continued as he knelt beside the boy.  
"You don't understand! I'd like to train more, but my village is very poor! I work in the fields with my father all day and my family still never has enough to eat! I needed to win this tournament; I'd have used the money to buy food and supplies for my village!" Uub answered as he sat up, his young voice heavy with tears and slightly altered by a stuffed nose. Goku looked thoughtful for a moment.  
"Hmm; your dad needs your help working in the fields. . .okay, how about this? Hercule Satan will be your sponsor - he has more money than body hair, he can afford it - that'll bring in a steady income for your village and you'll be able to join my evening martial arts class. It'll be no problem for me to come and get you before it starts. You'll be done working by then, right?" Goku said, his eyes sparkling. Uub nodded slowly, still a little confused. Goku then continued, "You'll take the class and have an extra training session afterwards, with my granddaughter. Then, depending on the time and how tired we all are, I'll either take you home, or you can spend the night with my family and I'll take you home in the morning. How does that sound?" Uub stared hard at him for a moment more and then smiled.  
"That sounds. . .perfect!" Uub said, wiping away the last few tears on his face.  
"Glad you approve! We'll set it all up after the Tournament is over," Goku said. "In the mean time, let's get those injuries looked at." With that, he helped the boy up, leading him back to the waiting area and towards the medical area, where the doctors had set up shop for treating the inevitable bumps and bruises, and occasional breaks.  
The rest of the tournament went much as expected; Bra beat Narig with very little effort, accidentally leaving the pretty boy short a tooth. Trunks beat Otokoski quickly and Goten actually defeated Buu! Purely by accident, but he did it - during their fight, which tore up the arena even worse than Goku and Uub's contest, Goten managed to knock Buu spinning. When he finally stopped his frenzied spin, Buu was floating upside-down outside the ring. Buu laughed at the fun he was having when the announcer proclaimed he'd touched the ground. For a moment, Buu and Goten were confused, until they realized that Buu's pink head-tentacle had, indeed, touched the ground while he hung upside-down. Buu was very upset, but he abided by the rules and was placated by a promise from Goten they would try again another time. Vegeta had already won his fight, so there was no problem there.  
The second round proved more difficult, as the new match-ups were Pan vs. Goku, Goten vs. Bra, and Trunks vs. Vegeta. Goku defeated Pan after a short bout and ended up having to cuddle her for a long time backstage until she stopped crying from the defeat and her bruise. He kept apologizing repeatedly for the hit that left the bruise. He had overestimated a bit how much of a blow even a little quarter-Saiyan like her could handle. Goten and Bra's match lasted for a while, as Goten didn't want to inflict too much damage on her; the fear of Vegeta's retribution made sure of that. He held up an excellent defense, however, that Bra was having trouble getting through.  
"Kakkarot. . .your brat is holding back," Vegeta observed as he watched the battle between his daughter and his friend's youngest.  
"He's probably worried that you'll kill him if he hurts Bra too badly," Goku answered with a chuckle.  
"And well he should be. Still, though, Bra won't get stronger if she's not properly challenged," Vegeta said.  
It appeared to be a draw, until Bra fired a ki beam in an effort to knock Goten out of the ring and Goten replied with his own ki ball. The kis collided and for a moment struggled against each other, but then Goten's superior skill with ki won out. He managed to direct most the blast into the floor, but Bra still got hit by a large wave of it. The momentum flung her out of the ring and into the stands. Goten approached the waiting area like a man approaching the gallows, and, as expected, received a painful blow to the head from Vegeta before the concerned father went to retrieve his daughter. She wasn't badly hurt, and Vegeta didn't really say anything; he just took her hand and led her to the medical area to get an icepack.  
Then it was Trunks and Vegeta's turn. This match drew a good deal of attention from all who knew them. It was going to be an interesting fight, if only on the grounds that they both knew every technique that the other knew. Trunks knew he was in trouble. Vegeta had taught him everything he knew and every special technique; likewise, Trunks had devised a number of moves on his own that his father knew about. . .save one. That one was his only hope. It did help that he knew all of his father's moves as well, but not much. The match was explosive, to say the least. It opened with flying ki balls, which narrowly avoided hitting the spectators. Vegeta and his son locked into hand to hand in the middle of the air for several minutes, trading punches and kicks that probably would've killed a normal human. Blow for blow, they were almost evenly matched, but at any given point, one was losing ground. At times it was Trunks, but then he'd turn it around and Vegeta would be the one starting to slip. Punch for punch, kick for kick, the battle between father and son raged on. Vegeta was quite pleased with Trunks' fighting skills; he knew, deep down, that his son could win, and that made him happy for reasons he couldn't name. Trunks abruptly twisted out of his father's reach and, without meaning to, landed a direct kick to his father's lower back, right where Vegeta's tail stump was. The blow caused enough pain to distract his father for a moment and Trunks swung a powerful right into his father's face. Vegeta fell from the sky, but caught himself before he landed. He grinned upward at his son and then attacked again. They blurred completely out of sight for a while, then Trunks decided to try his newest special move, the only one he hadn't shown his father yet.  
With a sharp, fast move, Trunks seemed to disappear, only to reappear higher in the sky with the sun at his back. He preformed a series of rapid hand and arm movements as he summoned up his energy, then put his hands together so his thumbs and forefingers just touched. His father was framed by his hands and, just as Vegeta pivoted around to look up at him, Trunks fired. The immense ki wave barreled toward Vegeta, who threw his arms up as if to block. The ki wave swallowed him and continued on its surging path, its blast making a deep crater in the ground. For a sickening moment, Trunks suddenly thought he might have killed Vegeta - until he felt his father's steely grip on his leg. Trunks looked down in surprise at his father's smirking face and realized that he must have dodged at the last possible nanosecond, going below the ki wave and then circling up like a shark after prey. Before Trunks had a chance to try and get his father's hand off his ankle, Vegeta was pulling him down. With one hard swing, Vegeta slammed Trunks into the ground beside the arena floor, knocking him out of the championship. Then, the victorious prince helped his son back to the medical area, all the while telling him what an excellent job he had done.  
The last three had a battle royale to see who would fight Satan for the title. The already battered arena did not survive the warriors' all- out fighting. Amazingly, Goten was the last one left standing - mostly because Goku and Vegeta inadvertently drove each other into the ground and both had touched something outside the ring at the same time, so they were both disqualified. Goten went on to fight his brother's father-in-law. For the excited audience, Goten made a good show of it, but, as promised, threw the match in the last, dramatic second. Anyway, Hercule had previously (and privately) decided to give the bulk of the prize money to his daughter and her in-laws, anyway; he knew perfectly well Goten was the real winner.  
Once the tournament was over with, Goku talked with Mr. Satan and set up his sponsorship of Uub. He also explained his plan to his family and friends who hadn't heard it yet. As the sun sank low in the sky, Goku made ready to take Uub home and talk with his parents about Uub joining his evening martial arts class.  
"I should be home in time for dinner," Goku told Chi-Chi as he knelt down for Uub to climb on his back.  
"All right. Fly safely," Chi-Chi said with a nod. "It's a nice thing you're doing for Uub," she added, before giving him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.  
"Heh! You know me! Always willing to lend a hand!" Goku answered, and then lifted into the air. "See you shortly!" he called out with a wave, and then flew off. "Uub?" Goku said as they cut through the air to Uub's village. "Once your training is done, I want a rematch, okay?" Goku asked. Uub looked at him in mild surprise.  
"Uh, okay, fine," Uub said. Goku grinned to himself, knowing it would be quite the challenge when the time came. "How long do you think it will take? To finish my training, I mean."  
"Hmm, hard to say. For fairness' sake, I have to start you out as a One-Star, just like all of my other students. Still, you have the power, skill, and talent to go far, fast. It shouldn't take you too long to become a Seven-Star," Goku answered. "A few years, I'd say."  
They traveled on and reached Uub's village quickly, and Goku spoke with the boy's father. Uub's father happily agreed to Goku's idea as well, and Goku set up Uub's first lesson for the following Monday. Then he teleported back home, very satisfied with how the event-filled day had played out.  
  
Eight years later. . .  
Krillin tilted his head up and smiled a bit. He could feel a large number of flying kis close to Goku's house, a handful of which he knew as well as his own.  
"Hm, looks like Goku's flying lessons are coming along nicely," he said. Eighteen and Marron glanced at him from where they were sitting.  
"Are they?" Eighteen said, smiling lightly. "I'm surprised so many of those kids can manage it!"  
"Yeah, it took me a long time to learn to fly," Marron added, before flipping to the next picture in her fan magazine.  
"Hey, if anyone could teach them, it's Goku," Krillin replied, and his wife and daughter nodded. Roshi glanced up from his gentleman's magazine and nodded as well.  
"That's for sure," agreed the decrepit old martial arts master.  
Up on Kami's Lookout, Piccolo was thinking the same thing, while in the mountains, Tien and Chiao-Tzu grinned at each other quietly at the feel of all the kis. Yamcha lifted his head from his work for a moment and smiled to himself as he sensed the faraway lesson in progress.  
  
Goku led the group, since he was the primary sensei, with Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Bra forming a circle around the students in case any of them should start falling. Pan and Uub, Goku's best students and Seven-Stars each, were right behind Goku, and Chi-Chi hovered at Goku's side, having recently learned to fly herself. She was still a bit wobbly and held Goku's hand for balance and confidence.  
Bulma was at work, but had become sensitive enough to kis to know the lesson was under way. Bulma never did get the hang of flying on her own; but she preferred it when Vegeta carried her, anyway. She took a moment to lean back in her chair and smiled quietly at the picture sitting on her desk of the four members of her handsome family, all dressed nicely and smiling warmly for the camera.  
"You're all doing great!" Goku called over his shoulder. "Okay, now, everyone, let's get ready to land; I can feel some of you starting to get tired."  
"Goku-sensei, can't we have one little race before we go down?" Uub, now a strong, healthy, and well-muscled eighteen-year-old, objected. He had been attending Goku's evening classes and special training sessions for eight years, spending the night in Goku and Chi-Chi's house more often than not. He knew Goku's family as well as he knew his own, and he was friends with nearly all of Goku's students who were close to his own age. "Pan and Clover have been bragging they're faster flyers than me and I want to prove them wrong!" Clover, now sixteen and a proud Six-Star, was flying a short ways back in the group, her short red hair blowing in the wind.  
"That would only work if we were wrong!" Pan teased. She was twelve and rapidly blossoming into a fine young woman.  
"I might have been exaggerating," Clover admitted, moving a little closer to make it easier to hear her. "But there's only one way to find out!"  
"Yeah, can't we race, Sensei?" the other kids, even the tired ones, pleaded.  
"Give them a chance to stretch their limits, old friend! You know better than to go easy on students!" Vegeta called up.  
"He's got a point, Dad!" Gohan agreed.  
"Yeah!" Goten said.  
"We're right here to catch anyone that falls," Trunks added. The first flying lesson had nearly ended in disaster, as several of the students went too high and ran out of energy before they could safely come back down under their own power. If Gohan and Goten hadn't been there to help Goku catch them, there would've been a lot of broken bones. As it was, they'd just had slightly worse bruises and scrapes than normal, and only one person broke a leg. Ever since then, whenever conducting a large- group flying lesson, Goku summoned as many of his flying-capable friends as he could to back up his fledgling students.  
"I don't think one little race could hurt," Chi-Chi agreed.  
"Well. . .okay! To that mountain and back! It's close enough that you shouldn't crash!" Goku said, pointing to a nearby mountain. He hadn't really needed all that encouragement to come to a decision; he'd been ready to agree to it when Uub asked - they just hadn't given him a chance to say so! Everyone cheered happily, and Goku pulled Chi-Chi closer so she wouldn't get left behind. "Ready. . .Set. . .GO!" he called, and they all blasted across the sky, close to thirty shimmering ribbons of ki trailing behind them as they went, accompanied by fading peals of laughter.  
  
THE END. **************************************************************************** ** See?! Isn't that better?! And it didn't have to be all that different! Well, I feel better, anyway! I hope you do to! In case there are any doubts, yes, the new special move Trunks used was the same move Future Trunks used on Frieza but slashing him to bits. Clover: kind of a pun; she's the real lucky type, you know. ;-) Joel: I thought about calling him "Haley", but I figured that would've been too obvious. (Haley Joel Osment, star of "The Sixth Sense", get it?). 


End file.
